BSM unit

ABSTRACT

A BSM unit according to an embodiment is attached to a side surface facing the vehicle body of a visor of an outer mirror provided to a vehicle body of a vehicle. The BSM unit includes a light source; a housing configured to accommodate the light source; and a lens configured to be attached to the housing and emit light from the light source to the outside of the housing, in which at least a portion of the lens protrudes from the side surface of the visor in an out-of-plane direction of the side surface.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present disclosure relates to a BSM unit.

BACKGROUND

Conventionally, various BSM units (blind spot monitor units) have beenknown. As a BSM unit, a unit that notifies a driver of a vehicle of anexistence of a rear side vehicle by lighting an indicator on a mirror(mirror surface) of an outer mirror attached to a vehicle body of thevehicle is known. However, when the indicator is lit on the mirror ofthe outer mirror, the indicator is displayed together with the sceneryreflected on the mirror or sunlight, so that there is a problem that itis difficult to see the indicator.

U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2008/0316054 describes a blindspot indicator provided in a mirror assembly that includes an outermirror that is attached to the vehicle body of the vehicle. The mirrorassembly includes a reflective mirror that faces the rear of the vehicleand a casing that surrounds and holds the reflective mirror. The casingis attached to a side portion of the vehicle via a stem. The casing hasa side portion facing the vehicle body side of the vehicle, and a blindspot indicator is displayed on the side portion.

The blind spot indicator includes a light source including an LED and alens that guides light from the light source. The light from the lightsource is guided by the lens and emitted to the outside of the casing,so that an icon can be displayed on the side portion, and the display ofthe icon notifies the driver of the vehicle that the rear side vehiclehas been detected.

SUMMARY

In the blind spot indicator described above, since the icon is displayedon the side portion of the casing, the driver of the own vehicle facingthe side portion can visually recognize the icon. By the way, especiallyin recent years, it is required that drivers, passengers, road users,and the like of another vehicle also visually recognize the indicator.If the driver or the like of another vehicle can visually recognize theindicator of the own vehicle, the driver or the like of another vehiclecan grasp an existence of the own vehicle.

However, in the blind spot indicator described above, since the sideportion of the casing of the mirror assembly faces the driver of the ownvehicle and displays the icon on the side portion, the driver or thelike of another vehicle cannot visually recognize the icon. That is,since the icon is displayed on the side of the casing itself, it isdifficult for anyone other than the driver of the own vehicle tovisually recognize the icon. If the driver or the like of anothervehicle cannot visually recognize the icon of the own vehicle, it may bedifficult for the driver or the like of another vehicle to notice theexistence of the own vehicle, which may give anxiety to the driver ofthe own vehicle.

It is an object of the present disclosure to provide a BSM unit that canbe visually recognized by a driver or the like of another vehicle.

A BSM unit according to one aspect of the present disclosure is attachedto a side surface facing the vehicle body of a visor of an outer mirrorprovided to a vehicle body of a vehicle. The BSM unit includes a lightsource; a housing configured to accommodate the light source; and a lensconfigured to be attached to the housing and emit light from the lightsource to the outside of the housing, in which at least a portion of thelens protrudes from the side surface of the visor in an out-of-planedirection of the side surface.

The BSM unit is provided on the side surface of the visor of the outermirror facing the vehicle body. Therefore, since the indicator of theBSM unit is not displayed on the mirror of the outer mirror but on thevisor, an indicator can be displayed at a place different from a sceneryreflected on the mirror. Therefore, the indicator can be easily visuallyrecognized. The BSM unit includes the lens that is attached to thehousing that accommodates the light source and emits the light to theoutside of the housing. At least a portion of the lens protrudes fromthe side surface of the visor in the out-of-plane direction of the sidesurface. Therefore, since at least a portion of the lens that emits thelight to the outside protrudes in the out-of-plane direction of the sidesurface of the visor, the driver or the like of another vehicle canvisually recognize the light from the lens. If the light emittingsurface from the lens is flush with the side surface of the visor, anemitting direction of the light may be limited to the driver side of theown vehicle. However, in the BSM unit, since at least a portion of thelens protrudes from the side surface of the visor, an emitting directionof the light from the lens is not limited to a driver side of the ownvehicle, and includes a wide range such as a rear side of the ownvehicle, and the like. Therefore, since the light from the lens can bevisually recognized by the driver or the like of another vehicle on therear side, the driver or the like of another vehicle can grasp anexistence of the own vehicle.

A BSM unit according to another aspect of the present disclosure isattached to a side surface facing the vehicle body of a visor of anouter mirror provided to a vehicle body of a vehicle. The BSM unitincludes a light source; a housing configured to accommodate the lightsource; and a lens configured to be attached to the housing and emitlight from the light source to the outside of the housing, in which thevisor is positioned on a rear side of the vehicle on the side surfaceand has an edge portion surrounding a mirror of the outer mirror, and atleast a portion of the lens is exposed on the side surface of the visorand reaches the edge portion of the visor.

Like the BSM unit described above, the BSM unit is provided on the sidesurface of the visor facing the vehicle body. Therefore, since anindicator can be displayed at a place different from a scenery reflectedon the mirror, the indicator can be easily and visually recognized. Atleast a portion of the lens is exposed on the side surface of the visorand reaches the edge portion of the visor. The edge portion of the visoris positioned on the rear side of the vehicle when viewed from the sidesurface of the visor. Therefore, since the lens that emits the light tothe outside is exposed on the side surface of the visor and reaches theedge portion of the visor, an emitting direction of the light from thelens is not limited to a driver side of the own vehicle, but includes awide range such as a rear of the own vehicle. Therefore, since the lightfrom the lens can be visually recognized by the driver or the like ofanother vehicle on the rear side, the driver or the like of anothervehicle can grasp an existence of the own vehicle.

In addition, a height of the lens with respect to the side surface ofthe visor may increase toward the rear side of the vehicle. In thiscase, since the height of the lens increases toward the rear side, it ispossible to make it easier for a driver of another vehicle on the rearside to visually recognize the shinning lens. In addition, when theheight of the lens increases toward the rear side, the BSM unit can beeasily assembled to the visor.

In addition, the lens may be provided on the rear side of the vehicle onthe side surface of the visor. In this case, since the lens is providedon the rear side of the vehicle on the side surface of the visor, thelens is provided at a position close to the mirror of the outer mirror.Therefore, since a distance from the line of sight of the driver of theown vehicle that visually recognizes the mirror to the lens can beshortened, the driver of the own vehicle can more easily and visuallyrecognize the lens. In addition, by providing the lens on the rear sideof the side surface of the visor, it becomes easier for the driver ofanother vehicle on the rear side to visually recognize the shinninglens.

According to the present disclosure, it is possible to provide the BSMunit that can be visually recognized by the driver or the like ofanother vehicle.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view illustrating an exemplary outer mirror onwhich a BSM unit according to an embodiment of the present disclosure ismounted;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view illustrating a lens of the BSM unit of FIG.1, a side surface of a visor of the outer mirror, and an edge portion;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the visor of FIG. 2 as viewed from adirection different from that of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a perspective view schematically illustrating the BSM unitattached to the visor of FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view illustrating the BSM unit and the visorof FIG. 4;

FIG. 6 is a plan view illustrating the BSM unit of FIG. 4;

FIG. 7 is a sectional view taken along line A-A of the BSM unit of FIG.6;

FIG. 8 is a side view of a housing of the BSM unit of FIG. 6;

FIG. 9 is an exploded perspective view of the BSM unit of FIG. 6;

FIG. 10 is a perspective view illustrating an inner lens of the BSM unitof FIG. 6;

FIG. 11 is a side view of the inner lens of FIG. 10; and

FIG. 12 is a perspective view illustrating a BSM unit and a visoraccording to a modified example.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Hereinafter, embodiments of a BSM unit according to the presentdisclosure will be described with reference to the drawings. In thedescription of the drawings, the same or corresponding elements aredesignated by the same reference numerals, and a duplicated descriptionwill be omitted as appropriate. In addition, the drawings may bepartially simplified or exaggerated for ease of understanding. Further,the dimensional ratio and the like are not limited to those described inthe drawings.

First, an exemplary outer mirror 1 to which a BSM unit 10 according tothe present embodiment is applied will be described. As illustrated inFIG. 1, the outer mirror 1 is an outer mirror provided on a vehicle bodyof an own vehicle, and is provided, for example, diagonally in front ofa driver's seat of the own vehicle. In the present disclosure, the “ownvehicle” refers to a vehicle equipped with the BSM unit according to thepresent disclosure, and the “another vehicle” refers to another vehicledifferent from the own vehicle. “Another vehicle” may include afollowing vehicle, a rear side vehicle, or an overtaking vehicle of theown vehicle.

The BSM unit 10 is provided on, for example, the outer mirror 1 on theright side of the own vehicle and the outer mirror 1 on the left side ofthe own vehicle, respectively. The BSM unit 10 is visible not only tothe own vehicle but also to other road users, for example. Other roadusers include pedestrians who visually recognize the own vehicle onwhich the BSM unit 10 is mounted, and occupants of another vehicle.Since the BSM unit 10 is visible to other road users, it is possible tomake other road users grasp an existence of the own vehicle.

The outer mirror 1 according to the present embodiment includes, forexample, a mirror 2 which is a mirror main body having a mirror surface2 b, and a visor 3 which surrounds the mirror surface 2 b of the mirror2 and holds the mirror 2. As an example, a color of the visor 3 isblack. In the present disclosure, black includes not only black but alsonavy blue, purple, brown, gray, and dark green with a color scheme closeto black.

The visor 3 includes, for example, an upper surface 3 b facingvertically upward, a side surface 3 c facing the vehicle body side(positioned on the driver's seat side), and an edge portion 3 dsurrounding the mirror 2. The upper surface 3 b and the side surface 3 care, for example, smoothly connected to each other. The edge portion 3 dis, for example, directed to the rear side of the own vehicle and has anopening 3 f facing the rear side of the own vehicle. The mirror surface2 b of the mirror 2 is exposed at the opening 3 f.

As illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2, the BSM unit 10 is exposed on the sidesurface 3 c of the visor 3. The BSM unit 10 is exposed from the opening3 g formed in the side surface 3 c of the visor 3. At least a portion ofthe BSM unit 10 projects from the side surface 3 c in an out-of-planedirection of the side surface 3 c, for example. An exposure portion 10 b(exposed portion) of the BSM unit 10 is lit by a light source 15 (seeFIG. 7) provided inside the BSM unit 10, and an indicator is displayedby the lighting of the exposure portion 10 b.

For example, the exposure portion 10 b of the BSM unit 10 has a squareshape (as an example, a rectangular shape) having a pair of long sides10 c extending along a first direction D1 in which the edge portion 3 dextends and a pair of short sides 10 d extending in a second directionD2 intersecting the edge portion 3 d. As an example, the seconddirection D2 is orthogonal to the first direction D1. The exposureportion 10 b of the BSM unit 10 is provided on the rear side of the ownvehicle on the side surface 3 c of the visor 3, and is provided, forexample, at a position closer to the edge portion 3 d of the visor 3.

The BSM unit 10 is positioned, for example, on the rear side (edgeportion 3 d side) of the own vehicle from a reference line L1 thatpasses through the center of the second direction D2 on the side surface3 c of the visor 3 and extends in the first direction D1. As an example,the BSM unit 10 is positioned on the upper surface 3 b side from areference line L2 that passes through the center of the first directionD1 on the side surface 3 c and extends in the second direction D2. TheBSM unit 10 is provided at a position adjacent to the edge portion 3 d,and for example, a linear portion 3 h extending along the firstdirection D1 is formed between the BSM unit 10 and the edge portion 3 d.

The exposure portion 10 b of the BSM unit 10 includes, for example, asmooth surface 10 f recessed with respect to the side surface 3 c of thevisor 3, and a convex portion 10 g protruding from the side surface 3 c.The smooth surface 10 f is, for example, a flat surface. The convexportion 10 g includes an inclined surface 10 h that gradually rises froman end portion opposite to the edge portion 3 d, and a top portion 10 jpositioned on the edge portion 3 d side of the inclined surface 10 h.

Due to the inclined surface 10 h and the top portion 10 j, the exposureportion 10 b of the BSM unit 10 becomes higher toward the rear side(edge portion 3 d side) of the own vehicle. For example, the convexportion 10 g may further include a first side surface 10 k extendingfrom the inclined surface 10 h to the smooth surface 10 f, and a secondside surface 10 m extending from the top portion 10 j to the smoothsurface 10 f. Note that the shape and position of the exposure portion10 b are not limited to the above examples and can be changed asappropriate.

FIG. 3 is a schematic perspective view of the opening 3 g of the visor 3as viewed from the inside of the visor 3. FIG. 4 is a schematicperspective view illustrating the BSM unit 10 attached to the sidesurface 3 c of the visor 3 from the inside of the visor 3. Asillustrated in FIGS. 3 and 4, the visor 3 has a wall surface 3 pextending from the edge portion 3 d to the inside of the visor 3. TheBSM unit 10 is mounted on the wall surface 3 p, for example. The wallsurface 3 p is, for example, a portion that is not visible from theoutside of the visor 3.

The wall surface 3 p includes a first wall surface 3 q extending alongthe upper surface 3 b of the visor 3, a second wall surface 3 r facingthe side surface 3 c, and a third wall surface 3 s extending downwardfrom an end portion opposite to the edge portion 3 d of the first wallsurface 3 q. A tubular portion 3 t protrudes from the second wallsurface 3 r and the third wall surface 3 s, and as an example, the BSMunit 10 is attached to the tubular portion 3 t. The third wall surface 3s extends along the mirror 2 on a back side of the mirror 2 held by thevisor 3.

FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view illustrating an example of an attachingstructure of the BSM unit 10 to the side surface 3 c of the visor 3. Asillustrated in FIG. 5, the BSM unit 10 includes a housing 11 thataccommodates a light source 15, which will be described later, and forexample, the housing 11 may be fixed to the wall surface 3 p of thevisor 3 via a screw 16.

FIG. 6 is a plan view illustrating the BSM unit 10. FIG. 7 is across-sectional view taken along line A-A of FIG. 6. As illustrated inFIGS. 6 and 7, the shape of the exposure portion 10 b of the BSM unit 10is bilateral-symmetrical with respect to the cross section taken alongline A-A of FIG. 6. The cross section taken along line A-A is a crosssection S that includes the center 10 p of the exposure portion 10 b andthe edge portion 3 d of the visor 3 and is orthogonal to the sidesurface 3 c of the visor 3. The cross section S extends, for example, inboth the above-mentioned second direction D2 and the third direction D3orthogonal to the side surface 3 c.

When the BSM unit 10 is viewed along the third direction D3, the BSMunit 10 has a short side extending in the first direction D1 and a longside extending in the second direction D2, and has a protruding portion10 q protruding toward the edge portion 3 d side. The protruding portion10 q protrudes toward the edge portion 3 d (to the right in FIG. 6), forexample, in a region including the center of the first direction D1 ofthe BSM unit 10.

For example, the shape of each portion of the BSM unit 10 isbilateral-symmetrical with respect to the cross section S. In this way,since each portion of the BSM unit 10 has a bilateral-symmetrical shapewith respect to the cross section S, the configuration of the BSM unit10 attached to the right side of the vehicle and the configuration ofthe BSM unit 10 attached to the left side of the vehicle can be shared.

The BSM unit 10 includes a light source 15, a housing 11 thataccommodates the light source 15, and a lens 12 that emits light H fromthe light source 15 to the outside of the BSM unit 10. The light source15 is, for example, an LED light source. The BSM unit 10 emits light Hfrom the exposure portion 10 b to the outside of the BSM unit 10 todisplay an indicator that alerts the driver of the own vehicle or makesother road users grasp the existence of the own vehicle. The lens 12 isattached to the housing 11. For example, the BSM unit 10 furtherincludes a circuit board 13 which is a printed circuit board (PCB) onwhich the light source 15 is mounted, and a connector portion 14 whichis electrically connected to the light source 15 via the circuit board13.

At least portion (exposure portion 10 b) of the lens 12 is exposed onthe side surface 3 c of the visor 3. The lens 12 includes an outer lens17 having the exposure portion 10 b of the BSM unit 10 and an inner lens18 positioned inside the outer lens 17. The outer lens 17 and the innerlens 18 are separated from each other, for example.

The outer lens 17 is bilateral-symmetrical with respect to the crosssection S, for example. As an example, the outer lens 17 has a baseportion 17 b mounted on the housing 11, a first convex portion 17 cprotruding from the base portion 17 b, and a second convex portion 17 dfurther protruding from the first convex portion 17 c.

When viewed from the third direction D3, the base portion 17 b ispositioned inside the housing 11, the first convex portion 17 c ispositioned inside the base portion 17 b, and the second convex portion17 d is positioned inside the first convex portion 17 c. When viewedfrom the third direction D3, the shape of at least a portion of the baseportion 17 b and the first convex portion 17 c is, for example, arounded rectangular shape.

The base portion 17 b has a first protruding portion 17 f constitutingthe protruding portion 10 q of the BSM unit 10, and the first convexportion 17 c has a second protruding portion 17 g constituting theprotruding portion 10 q. Both the first protruding portion 17 f and thesecond protruding portion 17 g protrude toward the edge portion 3 dside. The second convex portion 17 d is provided on, for example, thesecond protruding portion 17 g of the first convex portion 17 c, and theshape of the second convex portion 17 d seen from the third direction D3is rectangular. As an example, the above-mentioned exposure portion 10 bis provided on the end portion side (edge portion 3 d side) of thesecond convex portion 17 d in the second direction D2.

The outer lens 17 is a lens in which a portion thereof is exposed on theside surface 3 c of the visor 3. The light H emitted from the lightsource 15 is incident on the outer lens 17 via the inner lens 18, and isemitted from the outer lens 17 to the outside of the BSM unit 10. As aresult, the lens 12 shines and the BSM unit 10 becomes visible. Forexample, the BSM unit 10 displays an indicator that lights up whenanother vehicle approaches by illuminating the lens 12, thereby alertingthe driver of the own vehicle and making other road users aware of theexistence of the own vehicle.

A transmittance of the light H of the outer lens 17 is lower than, forexample, the transmittance of the light H of the inner lens 18. As anexample, the transmittance of the light H of the outer lens 17 is about40%, and the transmittance of the light H of the inner lens 18 is about90%. For example, the inner lens 18 is colorless and transparent, andthe outer lens 17 is colored in black and transparent. As describedabove, since the color of the outer lens 17 is colored in black andtransparent, the color of the outer lens 17 can be brought close to theblack color of the visor 3, so that the design of the visor 3 can beenhanced.

The housing 11 includes an insertion portion 11 d into which theconnector portion 14 is inserted into a surface 11 c facing the sideopposite to the surface 11 b on which the outer lens 17 is placed. Theinsertion portion 11 d has, for example, a tubular shape recessed fromthe surface 11 c, and the connector portion 14 is inserted into thecircuit board 13 by inserting the connector portion 14 inside theinsertion portion 11 d. By inserting the connector portion 14 into thecircuit board 13 in this way, power is supplied to the light source 15via the connector portion 14 and the circuit board 13.

FIG. 8 is a side view illustrating the housing 11. FIG. 9 is an explodedperspective view of the BSM unit 10. As illustrated in FIGS. 8 and 9,the housing 11 is bilateral-symmetrical with respect to the crosssection S. The shape of the housing 11 when viewed along the seconddirection D2 is, for example, rectangular, and the housing 11 has a pairof fixing portions 11 f fixed to the visor 3.

The pair of fixing portions 11 f are bilateral-symmetrical with respectto the cross section S, for example. The fixing portion 11 f has, forexample, a plate shape having a hole portion 11 g into which the screw16 described above is inserted. As an example, each fixing portion 11 fis inclined toward a center side of the second direction D2 of thehousing 11 with respect to the third direction D3. For example, the BSMunit 10 is firmly fixed to the visor 3 by inserting the screw 16 intothe hole portion 11 g of each fixing portion 11 f and screwing the screw16 into the wall surface 3 p.

The housing 11 has an accommodation space 11 h for accommodating thecircuit board 13 on which the light source 15 is mounted and the innerlens 18. The circuit board 13 has, for example, a plate shape extendingin both the first direction D1 and the third direction D3. The circuitboard 13 has a first portion 13 b, which is rectangular, and a secondportion 13 c, which is positioned in a back side of the accommodationspace 11 h of the first portion 13 b and becomes narrower toward theback side of the accommodation space 11 h. As an example, the secondportion 13 c has a trapezoidal shape.

The light source 15 and a receptacle portion 19 that accommodates theconnector portion 14 are mounted on the surface 13 d of the circuitboard 13 that faces the outer lens 17 side. For example, the connectorportion 14 and the receptacle portion 19 may be bilateral-symmetricalwith respect to the cross section S described above. The connectorportion 14 is electrically connected to the light source 15 via thecircuit board 13 by being inserted into the receptacle portion 19.

On the surface 13 d of the circuit board 13 facing the inside of thehousing 11, the light source 15 and the receptacle portion 19 arearranged so as to be in parallel vertically, for example. As an example,the light source 15 is mounted on the first portion 13 b of the circuitboard 13, and the receptacle portion 19 is mounted on the second portion13 c of the circuit board 13. The inner lens 18 is arranged to face thelight source 15. The inner lens 18 faces, for example, the light source15 along the second direction D2.

FIG. 10 is a perspective view illustrating the inner lens 18. FIG. 11 isa side view of the inner lens 18 as viewed along the second directionD2. As illustrated in FIGS. 7, 10, and 11, for example, the inner lens18 has a plate shape that gradually becomes thinner as a distance fromthe circuit board 13 increases. The inner lens 18 is, for example,bilateral-symmetrical with respect to the cross section S.

The inner lens 18 has an incident portion 18 b on which the light H fromthe light source 15 is incident, a reflecting portion 18 c that reflectsthe light H incident from the incident portion 18 b toward the outerlens 17, and an emitting portion 18 d that emits the light H reflectedby the reflecting portion 18 c to the outside of the inner lens 18. Theincident portion 18 b faces the light source 15 along the seconddirection D2, and has, for example, an incident surface 18 f extendingalong the light source 15 and allowing the light H to be incident insidethe inner lens 18.

For example, the reflecting portion 18 c is provided on an inner sidesurface 18 g of the inner lens 18 (the back side of the housing 11 orthe surface facing the opposite side of the outer lens 17) on the sideopposite to the light source 15. As an example, a thickness of the innerlens 18 in the reflecting portion 18 c becomes thinner toward the endportion side in the second direction D2.

The emitting portion 18 d is provided on an outer surface 18 h of theinner lens 18 (the outer side of the housing 11 or the surface facingthe outer lens 17 side) on the side opposite to the light source 15. Forexample, the emitting portion 18 d extends along a plane extending inboth the first direction D1 and the second direction D2, and thereflecting portion 18 c extends diagonally toward the end portion of thesecond direction D2 of the inner lens 18 so as to approach the emittingportion 18 d.

A lens cut 18 j is formed on the reflecting portion 18 c. The lens cut18 j includes a plurality of unevennesses 18 k arranged side by sidealong the second direction D2. Each unevenness 18 k extends along thefirst direction D1 and extends so as to curve downward toward the centerside of the first direction D1. The shape of the unevenness 18 k is, forexample, a continuous triangular wave shape along the second directionD2.

For example, a lens cut 18 m having a shape different from that of thelens cut 18 j is formed on the emitting portion 18 d. The lens cut 18 mincludes, for example, a plurality of convex portions 18 p arrangedalong the first direction D1. Each convex portion 18 p extends along thesecond direction D2. For example, the shape of each convex portion 18 pis a curved surface that protrudes toward the center of the firstdirection D1.

The lens cut 18 j of the reflecting portion 18 c and the lens cut 18 mof the emitting portion 18 d constitute a light distribution pattern ofthe light H and have a function of diffusing the light H in a desiredmanner. The light H reflected and diffused by the lens cut 18 j of thereflecting portion 18 c is diffused again at the lens cut 18 m of theemitting portion 18 d and is emitted from the exposure portion 10 b ofthe outer lens 17 to the outside of the BSM unit 10. Since almost theentire exposure portion 10 b can be illuminated by the light H, theexposure portion 10 b of the BSM unit 10 can be visually recognized.

Next, the action and effect obtained from the BSM unit 10 will bedescribed in detail. As illustrated in FIG. 2, the BSM unit 10 isprovided on the side surface 3 c of the visor 3 of the outer mirror 1facing the vehicle body side. Therefore, since the indicator of the BSMunit 10 is not displayed on the mirror 2 of the outer mirror 1 but onthe visor 3, the indicator can be displayed at a place different fromthe scenery reflected on the mirror 2. Therefore, the indicator can beeasily visually recognized.

The BSM unit 10 includes the lens 12 that is attached to the housing 11that accommodates the light source 15 and emits the light H to theoutside of the housing 11. At least a portion of the lens 12 (exposureportion 10 b) protrudes from the side surface 3 c of the visor 3 in theout-of-plane direction of the side surface 3 c. Therefore, since atleast a portion of the lens 12 that emits the light H to the outsideprotrudes in the out-of-plane direction of the side surface 3 c of thevisor 3, the driver or the like of another vehicle can visuallyrecognize the light H from the lens 12.

If the light emitting surface from the lens is flush with the sidesurface of the visor, an emitting direction of the light may be limitedto the driver side of the own vehicle. However, in the BSM unit 10,since at least a portion of the lens 12 protrudes from the side surface3 c of the visor 3, the emitting direction of the light H from the lens12 is not limited to the driver side of the own vehicle, and includes awide range such as the rear side of the own vehicle, and the like.Therefore, since the light from the lens 12 can be visually recognizedby the driver or the like of another vehicle on the rear side, thedriver or the like of another vehicle can grasp the existence of the ownvehicle.

In addition, the height of the lens 12 with respect to the side surface3 c of the visor 3 may be increased toward the rear side of the vehicle.In this case, since the height of the lens 12 increases toward the rearside, it is possible to make it easier for the driver of the vehicle onthe rear side to visually recognize the lens 12. In addition, when theheight of the lens 12 increases toward the rear side, the BSM unit 10can be easily assembled to the visor 3.

In addition, the lens 12 may be provided on the rear side of the vehicleon the side surface 3 c of the visor 3. In this case, since the lens 12is provided on the rear side of the vehicle on the side surface 3 c ofthe visor 3, the lens 12 is provided at a position close to the mirror 2of the outer mirror 1. Therefore, since the distance from the line ofsight of the driver of the own vehicle who visually recognizes themirror 2 to the lens 12 can be shortened, the driver of the own vehiclecan more easily and visually recognize the lens 12. In addition, byproviding the lens 12 on the rear side of the side surface 3 c of thevisor 3, it becomes easier for the driver of another vehicle on the rearside to visually recognize the shinning lens 12.

As illustrated in FIGS. 6 and 8, in the BSM unit 10, the shape of theexposed portion (exposure portion 10 b) of the lens 12 includes thecenter 10 p of the exposure portion 10 b and the edge portion 3 d of thevisor 3, and is bilateral-symmetrical with respect to the cross sectionS orthogonal to the side surface 3 c of the visor 3. That is, when theexposure portion 10 b is viewed from the edge portion 3 d of the visor3, the exposure portion 10 b is bilateral-symmetrical.

Therefore, since the exposure portion 10 b of the lens 12 has abilateral-symmetrical shape, the BSM unit 10 for the left side of thevehicle and the BSM unit 10 for the right side of the vehicle can beshared. As a result, it is possible to suppress costs in design andmanufacturing, and it is possible to suppress errors in assembly and thelike, so that parts can be assembled easily and with high accuracy.

In addition, the housing 11 has a pair of fixing portions 11 f fixed tothe visor 3, and the pair of fixing portions 11 f may bebilateral-symmetrical with respect to the cross section S. In this case,the housing 11 is provided with the pair of fixing portions 11 f, andthe pair of fixing portions 11 f are bilateral-symmetrical. Therefore,the structure and method of assembling the housing 11 can be shared forthe left side of the vehicle and the right side of the vehicle.Therefore, it contributes to the reduction of costs in design andmanufacturing.

As illustrated in FIGS. 7 and 11, the lens 12 includes the outer lens 17exposed on the side surface 3 c of the visor 3 and the inner lens 18that guides the light H from the light source 15 to the outer lens 17,and the inner lens 18 has the lens cuts 18 j and 18 m through which thelight H from the light source 15 passes, and the lens cuts 18 j and 18 mmay be bilateral-symmetrical with respect to the cross section S.

In this case, the lens cuts 18 j and 18 m of the inner lens 18 can beshared for the left side of the vehicle and the right side of thevehicle. Therefore, the emission pattern of the light H can be easilyshared at the time of assembly. In addition, since the inner lens 18 canbe shared for the left side and the right side, it contributes to thecost reduction of the inner lens 18.

In addition, the BSM unit 10 includes the connector portion 14electrically connected to the light source 15, and the shape of theconnector portion 14 may be bilateral-symmetrical with respect to thecross section S. In this case, the shape of the connector portion 14 canbe shared for the left side of the vehicle and the right side of thevehicle. Therefore, the connector portion 14 can be easily assembled,and the cost of the connector portion 14 can be reduced.

As illustrated in FIG. 5, the visor 3 has the wall surface 3 ppositioned inside the mirror 2 of the outer mirror 1, and the housing 11may be fixed to the wall surface 3 p. In this case, since the housing 11is fixed to the wall surface 3 p positioned inside the mirror 2, and thefixing portion 11 f of the housing 11 can be prevented from beingexposed to the side surface 3 c of the visor 3, the unevenness of theside surface 3 c of the visor 3 can be reduced. Therefore, since thestructure of the side surface 3 c of the visor 3 can be simplified, aconfiguration of a mold used at the time of molding the visor 3 can besimplified. As a result, the design and manufacturability of the sidesurface 3 c of the visor 3 can be improved.

As illustrated in FIGS. 7 and 11, the lens 12 includes the outer lens 17exposed on the side surface 3 c of the visor 3 and the inner lens 18that guides the light H from the light source 15 to the outer lens 17,and the inner lens 18 may have the reflecting portion 18 c that reflectsthe light H from the light source 15 and the emitting portion 18 d thatemits the light H reflected by the reflecting portion 18 c toward theouter lens 17.

Then, the lens cut 18 j may be formed on the reflecting portion 18 c,and the lens cut 18 m may be formed on the emitting portion 18 d. Inthis case, since the lens cuts 18 j and 18 m are formed on both thereflecting portion 18 c and the emitting portion 18 d of the inner lens18, the effect of diffusing the light H by the inner lens 18 can beenhanced. Therefore, since the light H from the lens 12 can be diffusedover a wider range, the visibility of the BSM unit 10 can be improved.

The embodiment of the BSM unit according to the present disclosure hasbeen described above. However, the present invention is not limited tothe above-described embodiment, and may be modified or applied to otherthings without changing the gist described in each claim. That is, theshape, size, number, material, and arrangement of each portion of theBSM unit according to the present disclosure can be appropriatelychanged within the scope of the above gist.

For example, in the above-described embodiment, the BSM unit 10 havingat least a portion protruding from the side surface 3 c of the visor 3in the out-of-plane direction of the side surface 3 c has beendescribed. However, the BSM unit may not protrude from the side surface3 c of the visor 3. In addition, in the above-described embodiment, anexample in which the BSM unit 10 is provided at a position adjacent tothe edge portion 3 d, and the linear portion 3 h extending along thefirst direction D1 is formed between the BSM unit 10 and the edgeportion 3 d has been described. However, the arrangement place of theBSM unit is not limited to the above example and can be changed asappropriate.

FIG. 12 illustrates a BSM unit 20 according to a modified example. TheBSM unit 20 includes, for example, a lens 22 that emits light H, and atleast a portion of the lens 22 is exposed on the side surface 3 c of thevisor 3. Then, at least a portion of the lens 22 reaches the edgeportion 3 d of the visor 3.

Since the BSM unit 20 is provided on the side surface 3 c of the visor 3facing the vehicle body side like the BSM unit 10 described above, theindicator can be displayed at a place different from the sceneryreflected on the mirror 2. Therefore, the indicator can be easilyvisually recognized. Then, at least a portion of the lens 22 is exposedon the side surface 3 c of the visor 3 and reaches the edge portion 3 dof the visor 3.

Therefore, since the lens 22 that emits the light H to the outside isexposed on the side surface 3 c of the visor 3 and reaches the edgeportion 3 d of the visor 3, the emitting direction of the light from thelens 22 is not limited to the driver of the own vehicle, but includes awide range such as the rear of the own vehicle. Therefore, since thedriver or the like of the vehicle on the rear side can visuallyrecognize the light H from the lens 22, the existence of the own vehiclecan be grasped by the driver or the like of another vehicle. From theabove, the same action and effect as the above-mentioned BSM unit 10 canbe obtained from the BSM unit 20.

In addition, in the above-described embodiment, an example in which thelens 12 includes the outer lens 17 and the inner lens 18 which areseparated from each other has been described. However, the lens of theBSM unit may be an integral lens. Further, in the above-describedembodiment, the BSM unit 10 in which the shape of each portion isbilateral-symmetrical with respect to the cross section S has beendescribed. However, a portion of the BSM unit does not have to bebilateral-symmetrical with respect to the cross section S. For example,at least one of the housing 11, the lens 12, the circuit board 13, andthe connector portion 14 does not have to be bilateral-symmetrical withrespect to the cross section S.

As described above, the shape of each portion of the BSM unit can beappropriately changed within the scope of the above-mentioned gist.Further, the shape, size, type, and arrangement of the outer mirror towhich the BSM unit is attached can be changed as appropriate.

What is claimed is:
 1. A BSM unit attached to a side surface of a visorof an outer mirror that is provided to a vehicle body of a vehicle, theside surface of the visor faces the vehicle body, and the BSM unitcomprising: a light source; a housing that accommodates the lightsource; and a lens that is attached to the housing and emits light fromthe light source to an outside of the housing, the lens includes: anouter lens and an inner lens, wherein only a portion of the outer lensprotrudes from the side surface of the visor in an outward directionextending from the side surface of the visor towards the vehicle body,and the outer lens comprising a base portion mounted on the housing, afirst convex portion protruding outwardly from the base portion, and asecond convex portion protruding outwardly from the first convex portionso as to provide the portion of the outer lens that protrudes from theside surface of the visor.
 2. The BSM unit according to claim 1,wherein, with respect to a direction generally perpendicular to the sidesurface, the base portion is positioned inside an area of the housing,the first convex portion is positioned inside an area of the baseportion, and the second convex portion is positioned inside an area ofthe first convex portion.
 3. The BSM unit according to claim 1, wherein,with respect to the direction generally perpendicular to the sidesurface, a shape of at least a portion of the base portion and a shapeof at least a portion of the first convex portion each comprise arounded rectangular shape.
 4. The BSM unit according to claim 1,wherein, with respect to the direction generally perpendicular to theside surface, a shape of the second convex portion is rectangular. 5.The BSM unit according to claim 1, wherein a transmittance of light ofthe outer lens is lower than a transmittance of light of the inner lens.6. The BSM unit according to claim 1, wherein a transmittance of lightof the outer lens is about 40% and a transmittance of light of the innerlens is about 90%.
 7. The BSM unit according to claim 1, wherein theinner lens is colorless and transparent, and the outer lens is coloredin black and transparent.
 8. A BSM unit attached to a side surface of avisor of an outer mirror that is provided to a vehicle body of avehicle, the side surface of the visor faces the vehicle body, the visorhaving a front side nearer to a front of the vehicle body than anopposing rear side of the visor, and the BSM unit comprising: a lightsource; a housing that accommodates the light source; and a lens that isattached to the housing and emits light from the light source to anoutside of the housing, the lens includes: an outer lens and an innerlens, wherein only a portion of the outer lens protrudes from the sidesurface of the visor in an outward direction extending from the sidesurface of the visor towards the vehicle body, the outer lens comprisesa base portion mounted on the housing, a first convex portion protrudingoutwardly from the base portion, and a second convex portion protrudingoutwardly from the first convex portion so as to provide the portion ofthe outer lens that protrudes from the side surface of the visor, andwherein the visor has an edge portion provided on a part of the sidesurface of the visor so as to be adjacent the rear side of the visor,and the edge portion surrounding a mirror of the outer mirror, and atleast a portion of the lens is exposed on the side surface of the visorand reaches the edge portion of the visor.
 9. The BSM unit according toclaim 8, wherein, with respect to a direction generally perpendicular tothe side surface, the base portion is positioned inside an area of thehousing, the first convex portion is positioned inside an area of thebase portion, and the second convex portion is positioned inside an areaof the first convex portion.
 10. The BSM unit according to claim 8,wherein, with respect to the direction generally perpendicular to theside surface, a shape of at least a portion of the base portion and ashape of at least a portion of the first convex portion each comprise arounded rectangular shape.
 11. The BSM unit according to claim 8,wherein, with respect to the direction generally perpendicular to theside surface, a shape of the second convex portion is rectangular. 12.The BSM unit according to claim 8, wherein a transmittance of light ofthe outer lens is lower than a transmittance of light of the inner lens.13. The BSM unit according to claim 8, wherein a transmittance of lightof the outer lens is about 40% and a transmittance of light of the innerlens is about 90%.
 14. The BSM unit according to claim 8, wherein theinner lens is colorless and transparent, and the outer lens is coloredin black and transparent.
 15. A BSM unit attached to a side surface of avisor of an outer mirror that is provided to a vehicle body of avehicle, the side surface of the visor faces the vehicle body, and theBSM unit comprising: a light source; a housing that accommodates thelight source; and a lens that is attached to the housing and emits lightfrom the light source to an outside of the housing, the lens includes:an outer lens and an inner lens, wherein only a portion of the outerlens protrudes from the side surface of the visor in an outwarddirection extending from the side surface of the visor towards thevehicle body, wherein, with respect to a direction generallyperpendicular to the side surface, a base portion of the outer lens ispositioned inside an area of the housing, a first convex portion of theouter lens is positioned inside an area of the base portion, and asecond convex portion of the outer lens is positioned inside an area ofthe first convex portion.
 16. The BSM unit according to claim 15,wherein, with respect to the direction generally perpendicular to theside surface, a shape of at least a portion of the base portion and ashape of at least a portion of the first convex portion each comprise arounded rectangular shape.
 17. The BSM unit according to claim 15,wherein, with respect to the direction generally perpendicular to theside surface, a shape of the second convex portion is rectangular. 18.The BSM unit according to claim 15, wherein a transmittance of light ofthe outer lens is lower than a transmittance of light of the inner lens.19. The BSM unit according to claim 15, wherein the inner lens iscolorless and transparent, and the outer lens is colored in black andtransparent.
 20. The BSM unit according to claim 15, wherein atransmittance of light of the outer lens is about 40% and atransmittance of light of the inner lens is about 90%.